Pages

Thursday, 31 January 2013

Everyone who knows me knows I have a serious case of the travel bug. It's not all my fault, it runs in my family. I say this as my parents are preparing to head on a two week cruise in the next month or so. It's become pretty standard in our family to go somewhere at least once a year, often even twice.

It wasn't always that way. I didn't know it as a child, but money was pretty tight in our family. My dad was self employed and my mom was at home with us. Somehow they managed to scrape together enough money to send us to a great Christian school, which left little room for other things. Camping! That was our family vacation every year and we loved it! We did manage one or two larger vacations on a serious budget, and they usually involved being gifted someone's timeshare condo or doing a lot of driving.

Later in my teenaged years my dad ended up becoming a supervisor for a large construction company. Things became financially more comfortable and my parents ended up buying into a time share. It's really been a wonderful thing for our family because it provided yearly opportunities to go away on a real holiday as a family. Holidays for us haven't just been about seeing new places and laying on the beach. It meant a full week or more of straight family bonding time and those memories stick out strongly in my brain.

Once I graduated high school and started working most of my money saved went to trips, with or without my family. Mexico, New York, Europe, California, I did whatever I could. Then I enrolled in college, met my fiancée and started flying to Ontario instead of the beach.

My husband was so not use to this travel lifestyle when he married into my family. He grew up in a small town that was a good 6+ hours from a major airport. And he had just finished a good 4 years in University as a poor student when we were wed. Suddenly he was thrust into a family where normal dinner conversation involved sentences like,"So where are we going next?" And "What's the plan for AFTER this next trip?" Sounds crazy I know, but when you are working with time share folks everything has to be booked far out haha.

We've been married for almost 4 years now and in that time we've been blessed to have gone to Hawaii twice (once for our wedding), Disney twice and on two cruises. Yes I realize that's not normal, thats why I said BLESSED! We aren't rolling in dough here, far from it. But we've managed to score some really good deals and as mentioned, the timeshare helps ALOT!y

But this year we aren't going anywhere. At all! Camping won't even be happening because I don't plan to sleep in a tent with a 2 month old. We've really got to buckle down and save now because our family is growing and we just won't have room for us all in a townhouse. We are trying to watch the budget extra closely so that we can achieve a different kind of dream - a detached house with a basement and hopefully a bit of a yard.

So this means the traveling I've become accustomed to will be gone, at least for a while. Yes, next year we plan to go back to Disneyland with the kids, but that'll probably be it for the next 5 years. I whole heartedly admit that that will be very hard for me! It'll be a lifestyle change for sure. I've gotta say though, having young children will definitely help me stay grounded. Hawaii with a toddler is just not as relaxing as Hawaii with all adults haha.

So here I sit, drinking my cup of Kona coffee, dreaming of the beach while a toddler runs around me making car noises, loudly bringing me back to reality. But that's okay, cause he is pretty darn cute and brings me joy in a whole other way that vacations cannot.

Wednesday, 30 January 2013

Pregnancy is still going good! I am starting to feel a little large and the requests have begun for back massages from my husband. The sleeping with a pillow to support my belly has started and thanks to my sore tailbone I am already waddling a bit. But this is all to be expected and I'm feeling well.

My only concern right now is little baby Ashers current position, which is breech. I know it's still early and he has lots of time to turn. But it was brought up during my ultrasound and It was the same during my 3D over a month earlier. I know he is still in that position now as all movement is very low in my belly. His bum is sitting right above my cervix and he seems quite comfortable there.

As I said, it's still early. I am in week 24 and he has another 10 weeks or so to turn before they would 'book' a csection for me and continue to monitor him. But just the fact that a csection has been mentioned and I have no control over his position has me nervous. Obviously I want what is best for him and for me and if that means we have to go that route then so be it. I can deal with 'surgery' and bring in help while I heal, but I do feel a little like I'd be 'robbed' of an experience by having a csection. I know I know, tons of woman have them all the time and have never experienced a vaginal delivery. As painful as labour is, it's also kind of a thrill when you have that moment of actually pushing a baby out and bringing them into the world. I'm scared to miss out on that moment with this one. And the other fear is that if I have a csection this time I know I'd be pushed to go for a csection for our third (but I'd want to go for a vbac!)

Don't worry, I am honestly not freaking out yet or all panicked. It's just on my brain and it's something I never expected to have to think about. I always assumed if I have a csection it'd be in the case of an emergency. It'd be so weird to walk into the hospital, not contracting, and to walk into a surgical room and come out with a baby an hour later.

Anyways, I am processing here and you just happen to be on the receiving end. Would love to hear some happy stories of babies who turned just in time or happy c section stories to give me hope if you've got em :)

Saturday, 26 January 2013

We very quickly found out once Noah started solids that he couldn't do eggs. Within a minute or so of eating them his face would break out in a horrible red rash. Sometimes it would spread down to his neck resulting in an uncomfortably itchy baby. We felt so bad for him and I struggled to come up with breakfast foods that he could eat without getting bored. It was also hard to eat eggs around him because he would want some.

He was diagnosed with an early childhood egg allergy but my doctor explained that because his reactions weren't severe (he could still breathe just fine) and because he could still eat things with fully cooked egg products in them, there was a decent chance he'd out grow it by two years of age.

The last time he had egg was in October while we were in Hawaii. It was in the form of salad dressing and sure enough, within a minute or two of tasting it he was getting red. Well, this morning, only 4 or so months later, I decided to feed him some of my breakfast (fried eggs and hash-browns.) Much to my surprise and excitement, NO rash! We cheered around the breakfast table and Noah rotated back and forth between daddy and I giving high fives and 'pound its.' I'm hoping this wasn't just a fluke incident so I plan on trying scrambled eggs in a few days again to check.

Here's hoping the allergy is history and we can enjoy eggs as a family :)

(You can see in this picture a horrible rash on his face after a breakout)

Friday, 25 January 2013

I had a good sleep last night and I think that put me into a positive mood (or maybe it was that cup of Kona coffee?)

I'm thankful for a wonderful husband who works hard every day to support our little family. He does so much for me that I really cant even begin to describe it all. he is unbelievable and I really am the luckiest girl alive to call him mine. I'm thankful that he had the opportunity to go to University and get a degree so that he could have the great job he has today. I'm also thankful that his place of work is only 15 minutes from our home. What a rare blessing in a large city like Vancouver!

Speaking of home, I'm thankful for our home. We own a townhouse, and its not huge (2 bedroom +den) but its ours. We have enough room to live our lives as a family, invite people over and take care of ours needs. I love the location and I wake up every day to a beautiful view of the mountains. How can I not be grateful for that?

I'm thankful for my family (immediate and extended.) There is just something so special about people you are related to (by blood or marriage.) You know they are there for you if you really need something. Even though I don't see a lot of them more then once a year, I just want them all to know how special they are to me. I love you guys :)

I'm thankful for my church family and friends. I honestly can't picture my life without that amazing group of people. They are my support, my encouragement and a group of people who always want what's best for me in every way. And they pray for me - that's pretty incredible.

I'm thankful for my sons. Noah, my rambunctious 1.5 year old who makes me laugh one moment and want to pull out my hair another. The one who can wake me up in the middle of the night but I can't help but smile when he snuggles into my arms. And I'm thankful for Asher, the little boy currently growing and developing inside my belly. His little kicks and punches bring joy to my heart because it tells me he is doing okay. I love him so much already!

There's a million other things that I'm thankful for too. Little things and moments that make up my day and all add up to this wonderful life. No, I'm not living in a bubble today - life is certainly far from perfect. But today I'm choosing to see the positives!

I'm thankful for the one who makes all these blessings even possible and that's my Heavenly Father. They all come from Him and I would not HAVE life without him.

Thursday, 24 January 2013

First of all, I just wanted to say a huge thank you for all the Facebook messages, bbms, phone calls and in person well wishes I received yesterday. It was very sweet of you to take a moment out of your busy days to acknowledge my birthday. It meant a lot!

The day itself had many ups and downs. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at our ladies bible study in the morning. I was actually able to listen and be involved as my mother graciously offered to watch Noah for me up in the nursery. Unfortunately sitting for a full hour (even with my special pillow) resulted in quite a lot of pain for me for the rest of the day. By the afternoon I couldn't do much but rest on the couch much to the dismay of my toddler. He wasn't in a good mood to begin with and I don't think was overly impressed with mommas lack of mobility. There were a few meltdowns and much whining on his part. By 4:00pm I was exhausted and ready to have my own emotional meltdown. I'm not sure if that was coming from my hormones in being pregnant or just the frustration I am feeling with my tailbone injury.

5:15 rolled around and in walked my knight in shining armor, a.k.a my husband. He came with a massive bouquet of flowers, cards, hugs and Greek food. I must admit, the tears began to flow at that point. Noah decided to carry on his sour disposition throughout my birthday meal but after we were done hubby allowed me to head upstairs to soak in a nice warm bath. Meanwhile, Noah was played with and prepped for bed before being brought in to give me a smooch goodnight. By the way, if you are wondering how someone with a broken tailbone has a bath, believe you me, it's not easy. But the warm water helps the pain a lot so it's worth the awkward sitting position I must do.

I got out of my bath and Ahhhh... The house was quiet. I picked out a movie (Dan in Real Life) and my husband and I snuggled up on the couch with some leftover ice cream cake. A pretty great way to end a less then fantastic day I'd say.

Monday, 21 January 2013

I am now into my 23rd week of pregnancy. My What to Expect app lovingly reminded me that I have 17 weeks to go. Labour in 17 weeks? Eek, that suddenly seems soon! But I am getting pretty excited to meet this little guy.

Pregnancy wise I'm feeling pretty decent. I get the occasional heartburn or nausea but for the most part I'd say this pregnancy has been easier. This whole damaged tailbone this has been, well, a pain in the butt but that really could happen to anyone. I'm thankful that I am mobile and able to function, but sure do appreciate any help I can get with Noah. Oh, and my house is kind of a disaster at the moment. I'm trying to look past it.

I think Noah is going to be an awesome big brother. Like actually. This morning he came up to me and asked to see baby. He likes to lift up my shirt, touch my belly and smother it in kisses. How sweet is that for a 17 month old!? He is also very much into our friends babies right now. He likes to touch their hands and feet, bring them toys and give them kisses. I can't wait to see him with little Asher!

Speaking of Noah, he is turning into such a boy!!! I had plans to get a bedding set for him of Curious George but at the moment he is ALL about Cars. And I do mean the Disney version of cars. Matt bought him a Cars table set and toy shelf yesterday for his room and he loves it. I'm sitting here wondering what happened to my cutesy little monkey. Ah we'll, two boys in the house and another on the way. I am out numbered!

Saturday, 19 January 2013

Today my hubby and I were meant to head off for the weekend to celebrate my birthday. We had reservations at a nice hotel in Washington state, plans to meet up with a few friends and plans to check out a great buffet for dinner. My parents were even taking Noah the whole time so that we could enjoy a night away. We had big plans to sleep in and relax!

But alas, it was not meant to be.

Yesterday morning during a play group get together with some friends I ran upstairs to quickly change into a t-shirt. I had just recently commented to the girls how I felt like my belly was bigger today and was feeling a shift in my weight and balance. When I began to head back downstairs my feet didn't hit the second step and I basically fell down the length of the staircase. I hit several times on the way down, thankfully all on my back end and not at all on my front.

The initial fall scared me more then anything, as I worried about the baby growing inside of me. I quickly realized that my tail bone had taken the brunt of the fall and the baby was probably fine. It hurt pretty bad to move, so my hubby came home in case we needed to take me to get checked out. We called the maternity ward where I was registered and they told me they wanted me to come in and be monitored.

Within a few minutes of being at the hospital we could hear little Asher's heartbeat beating away nice and strong, a great relief to mommy and daddy. My doctor from the prenatal clinic happened to be working at the time and came to check me out. After examining my tail bone region, aka my butt she told me that I appeared to have a broken tailbone. She wouldn't do X-rays as it wasn't good for the baby and told me there really was no way to treat it other then rotating ice and heat. Only medications I could take was tylonal, which probably wouldn't do a whole lot. She said I'd know if it wasn't broken if I start feeling significantly better within a few days. Here's hoping but were not counting on it.

Thankfully I can walk as long as its done slowly. Bending, lifting or straining of any kind hurts quite a bit, so I'm quickly learning what I can and can't do. I can't sit unless it's for a short period of time and on my boppy breastfeeding pillow (you know the ones with a hole in the middle?) Usually I am on my side. I'm grateful that this happened yesterday so that Matt is around for the weekend to help with Noah. I'm hoping that I will be feeling at least a little better come Monday.

Last night I was feeling pretty frustrated and sad. Yeah, I had a bit of a pity party for myself. I was really looking forward to a weekend away with my husband. And even with the offer from him of doing whatever I wanted to celebrate instead, we couldn't come up with anything that I could physically do at the moment. So that really sucked.

But I am trying to look on the bright side! Little Asher is healthy, I'm able to at least walk, and my his and is home for the weekend! My tail bone WILL heal and I feel like I can handle the pain. Like I said before, obviously going away this weekend wasn't meant to be. And I trust that God has a reason for everything, even when it's not comfortable for me in the mean time.

Thursday, 17 January 2013

So I came across this recipe on Pinterest a few days ago and being the sugar cookie lover that I am pinned it to try. It claimed to taste as good as real sugar cookies but with the convenience of not having to roll out dough, use cutters and frost each individual cookie. Less work with the same great taste? I'm sold!

I baked them this morning since we have company coming for dinner. I used my kitchen-aid mixer and found the ease to be true, it took no time at all to do! The recipe directions said to bake for 17-20 minutes at 375 but I quickly took mine out after 10 minutes as the sides were already browning. I would not want to cook them any longer (I like my sugar cookies super soft anyways.)

Directions:
COOKIES: Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. (The longer you beat it, the fluffier your cookies will be.)
Add egg and combine well.
Add sour cream and vanilla and mix until completely blended.
Slowly add the flour mixture and stir until well combined.
Gently press the batter into the greased baking dish and spread out with hands. (If you butter your hands, this will help with the stickiness.)
Bake 17-20 minutes, or until edges become lightly golden (I baked for 10 minutes)
Set aside to cool completely.

So after finishing and taking several taste tests I gotta say, I LOVE these. So much so that I think they will be my new go to treat to bake for company, parties or to prepare for church functions. They really do taste as good as sugar cookies if you bake them properly and they are so super easy. Too easy really, this won't be good for my pregnancy weight gain folks.

Tuesday, 15 January 2013

There is no real reason why I should be feeing extra tired, it's just one of those days. I haven't accomplished much. I call it more of a 'maintaining' day, because there are certain things that just have to be done.

I stuffed diapers. I avoid disposables at all costs now because my brain tells me I'm throwing away money if I use them haha. I did a load of laundry. I tidied the kitchen, the bedrooms and made the beds. I read stories with my son and took him outside for some fresh air. I even managed to whip up a batch of banana chip muffins because I had some gone brown bananas in my freezer.

I didn't clean the bathrooms as I'd hoped. I didn't straighten my hair resulting in the typical lazy mommy messy bun. I didn't work on any of my little projects. And I don't have a fancy dinner planned (chicken, veggies and a side to go with it is on the menu.) I'm not even going to the movies tonight as originally planned.

But I am greatly looking forward to a nice calm quiet evening with my little family.

Friday, 11 January 2013

Whew this week has just flown by! I actually found myself thinking that we had just come off Christmas holidays on Wednesday because it couldn't possibly be Friday already. But it is! And I'm looking forward to a weekend with Matt home!

I think one thing that has kept time flying is due to my becoming a consultant for Tender Tushies. It's actually kept my busier then I thought It would but that is in no way a bad thing! So far I'm really loving it, especially getting to socialise with all your wonderful people who have been emailing and ordering. I really really appreciate the support you have all given me. Even if you have simply gone to my site and liked my page. So thank you so much everyone!!!

I had my first doctors appointment at the Prenatal clinic yesterday. My family doctor doesn't deliver babies anymore so around my half way mark I switch and see both. I love my doctor at the clinic though and I am really praying I get lucky and have her for the delivery. Asher is measuring right on track and had a nice strong heart beat of 160. Had to laugh about that, as many believe a higher heart beat means girl. Well, he is clearly a boy based on our ultrasound and has had a high heart beat the whole time so far. My blood pressure wasn't as low as last time so that was nice to hear too.

One of my new years resolutions was to get in more play dates for Noah. I have a 'coffee mommas' group that a few of us girlfriends started that consists of about 5 woman and their children. We were meeting once a month for coffee at Starbucks but have now switched to get togethers at my place on Friday mornings since there are just so many babies. It was a little chaotic at times, but it's really nice to just get together with other moms and talk about babies, breastfeeding and everything else under the sun. Very thankful for that group!

We haven't got much in the way of plans this weekend, which is fine by me. Every weekend was so busy before Christmas so I am happy to have more downtime. My husband is doing a series at our church on Creation/Evolution right now so he will be preparing for that as well as attending a hockey game with the boys from my family. Guess I'll be taking it easy and going with the flow!

Tuesday, 8 January 2013

My husband and I find this pretty funny. There is one particular thing that my son loves right now. He asks for it constantly and when he actually gets it, it makes him the happiest kid alive. He calls that thing 'choc choc' but you know it as chocolate.

He got a bag of purdys santa chocolates in his stocking from his nana and when he gets one for dessert, oh boy, it is a sight to behold.

Monday, 7 January 2013

Many of you are aware that we made the switch to cloth diapers when our son was about 10 months old. We switched for several reasons, but the main reason was to save us some money. Disposables cost thousands of dollars per child if you count newborn to potty training. That's a significant amount of money, especially when you are a young family just starting out and living in one of the most expensive cities in the world. And even more so when you've decided to be a stay at home mom and need to live off one income.

The specific type of diapers we chose to use are called Tender Tushies, which is a local company. We looked into several typical cloth diaper brands and the average price per diaper was about $20-30. It would still save us money in the end, but with Tender Tushies the prices were in the $9-15 range. Much more affordable!

Before I made my purchases I did a test run for a few days with my cousins already bought diapers. I was brand new to cloth and wasn't sure how much work it would be or how well the diapers would hold up to leaks. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was! The actual diaper changing process was no different, except that instead of putting on a disposable with tabs I would snap on a cloth diaper. If the diaper was wet I simply tossed it into the water proof bag, and if there was poop I'd walk it to the toilet and dump in the waste first. The only real difference to my routine was having one extra load of laundry to do every few days. That I could easily live with if it meant saving money! And besides, it was a lot easier to wash a load then to drive to the store and spend another $50 on diapers.

At the end of my trial I was pleasantly surprised to find that I liked the Tender Tushies brand best! The quality was great, they didn't leak and I found the other brands to be too bulky on my child. And bonus, they were the cheapest! So, hubby and I decided to take the plunge and go with cloth diapering full time! I said in the beginning that I would still use disposables when I went out, but I quickly learnt that these diapers could hold up no problem when we were running around.

Why am I telling you all this you may wonder? Well, it's because I have decided to join the Tender Tushies team! I have become an independent consultant for the company and will now be selling all their wonderfully adorable diapers and products from my home! As a stay at home mom I feel as though I could use a little hobby. Cloth diapering has become something that I am passionate about and I love to talk to others about it too. Many people (and I use to be included in this group) are so intimidated when they hear the words cloth diapering that they just shoot it down and don't really give it a chance. I'd love to change that perspective!

So, I invite you to ask me questions about cloth diapering. About my experiences with it and about how I've converted from full time disposables to full time cloth. If you are a sceptic, I'd love a chance to change your mind! Ask me about how you can save some extra money to put towards your goals and dreams (we call it our Disneyland fund.) Or how it helps the environment (Do you KNOW how long a disposable takes to break down in our land fills?) Or simply about how it'll keep your little ones tushie at it's healthiest (We have seen way less rashes since the switch!)

My email address is fleetwoodclothdiapers@hotmail.com and I am currently in the process of putting together a Facebook page which you and your friends can view product at and LIKE here . Please check it out, I'm going to need the support of my friends and family as I tackle this new adventure!

Friday, 4 January 2013

Yup, I do. It's an area that I wish God had blessed me in, but I just wasn't made that way. But I know I have many friends who are very creative and can see things that I couldn't. So I need some help.

Our town home is open concept, so everything on the main floor is open. Our dining area looks great, kitchen is decent and we recently decorated one wall of our family room. The problem spot is the other side of the family room,where both the piano and TV are located. We need to do something with this space because it's really starting to bother me.

I'll post a picture and let you talented designers give me some suggestions. It needs to be something that isn't going to cost tons of money either, because we just don't have it. Do we get a cheap piece of art (and I'm talking Walmart/ikea here people), get some kind of wall decal, or just decorate the piano top? Help please!

Wednesday, 2 January 2013

I like to be organized and get things done. I hate days where I feel like I've accomplished nothing, and I hate when my house is in a state of disarray. I can be pretty hard on myself too and make myself feel like a bad wife or mother if things don't turn out the way I foresaw them going.

For quite a while now, my routine is that I get up when Matt does (around 7am), get Noah up, changed and fed as well as do all this for myself before he's gone at 8:00. That is barely an hour or time. Then I'd switch into tidying/cleaning the house gear and try to get everything done in the shortest amount of time possible. My thought process was that this would make my day easier. But I've come to realize that it's actually the opposite. I exhaust myself so much and end up having countless hours of free time (with Noah) that I'm not totally sure how to fill.

With the anticipation of our second child coming this year I've started a new routine, one that I can hopefully somewhat carry over into our new life. It goes a little something like this.

Night before: shower
7:00-8:00am: get Noah up, changed and have breakfast together.
8:00-9:00am: 'Momma time' (have my coffee, go on my ipad, chat with my mom) while Noah plays or watches an episode of 'George'
9:00-10:30am: I get dressed and do my hair followed my housework. Noah plays wherever I am.
10:30-12:00: snack time and then take Noah either out on an errand or outside for some fresh air, followed by his lunch.
12:00: Read Noah stories and put him down for his nap.
12:30: lunch and relax time for momma.
1:30: Noahs usually up from his nap. Playtime together in the living room and some more tidying.
4:00: Momma preparing dinner while Noah does independent play or watches an episode of something.
5:15: Matt comes home and we have dinner, followed by daddy and Noah playtime.
6:30: Noah gets ready for and goes to bed! (Yes, he likes an early bed time!)
7:00pm: Momma & Dada have the evenings to ourselves. Ahhh...

I know some people don't like a schedule and find it isolating or whatever, but there is alot of wiggle room in there. On some days, the house work just doesn't happen or dinner ends up being something work free. But I don't like having to do housework in the evenings or on the weekends because I feel like that's 'our' time either as a family or just Matt and I.

Anyways, this works for us so I just thought I'd share. What do you other moms do? Do you keep to a schedule or is every day a 'fly by the seat of your pants' kinda thing? I'm curious what works for you!

Tuesday, 1 January 2013

Time for a little look back on 2012 for the Bechard family. It's been another big and busy year with lots of highlights and I thank God for preserving and blessing us in another year.

"Every good and perfect gift is from above..." James 1:17

These big events are being done chronologically, which makes my life a whole lot easier then trying to put them in order of what was the most exciting or interesting.

1. In February I went under 'the knife' for the first time to have my gallbladder removed. I was pretty nervous about it, but thankfully it went very well and I recovered within a few weeks. The best thing though? Knowing I would never again have to experience the pain of another attack which I can only describe as worse then labor. Seriously.

2. Doing Disney! We were gifted a trip to Disneyland for 8 days in March and went with not only my family, but also my husbands. How wonderful that Noahs first Disney vacation was shared with both sets of Grandparents? Such happy memories that I can't even put into words.

3. Noahs first bad bug followed by a nasty ear infection. High fevers, vomiting, screaming, not exactly a fun experience. But it was our first time dealing with a very sick baby and having to make a trip to the emergency department. It was miserable, but after going through it I felt like a much more competent and confident parent, so I'd say that's a big deal right?

﻿

4. Noah became mobile, crawling everywhere and standing up constantly. Oh how quickly I missed the days of being able to put him down and finding him in the same spot a minute later. Our little boy was ready to explore the world... or at least our house.

5. Noah turned 1 in August! How that first year flew by. Why do they have to grow up so quickly? We had a Mickey Mouse themed birthday party in my parents backyard with just a few friends and family. Noah was super well behaved and we had a great day.

6. And so... very shortly after our baby turned 1 we found out we were expecting baby number 2! So very excited and a tad shocked at how quickly it all happened. Oh, and Noah started walking right around the same time - also exciting!

7. Family (plus a few friends) took a trip to Hawaii! We spent a week amongst the sun, surf and sand, although it wasn't nearly as relaxing going with an active toddler! Noah also got sick towards the end of our trip which made our final day or two a major downer. But it was still fun and we've got some great memories.

8. And finally, getting to celebrate Christmas with both sides of the family with in the same month! Usually we only get one in, either here in Vancouver or back east in Ontario where my husband is from. What a treat that was for us and what special times that was for Noah espeially.

We are looking into 2013 with great anticipation! Our second son, Asher, is expected towards the end of May and we'll be adjusting to life as a family of four! We also look forward to more time spent with our family and friends and enjoying all those little moments that make life so wonderful.

Happy New Year everyone and many blessings to you and yours in 2013!

Oh, and thanks for reading my blog. It still shocks me now and then that people actually want to read about our everyday life. But I enjoy journaling it, and I appreciate it all the comments and kind words that are left for me :)